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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Gavin Berry

Graeme Souness drops hints as Rangers legend 'open for business' after hanging up Sky Sports mic

Craig Moore threw his hat into the ring for the vacant Rangers sporting director role in an exclusive Record Sport interview.

But it’s the name of another former Ibrox man that has been swirling around in connection with the position as Light Blues chief executive James Bisgrove looks to fill the shoes of Ross Wilson following his departure to Nottingham Forest.

And it’s a name that would certainly excite Rangers fans if it came to fruition. Graeme Souness has a bit more time on his hands after ending his 15-year stint Sky Sports studio. Would he swap the comfy seat for a pressure position at his old club? Talk of such a scenario has certainly escalated as the rumour mill goes into overdrive. If we look at what the 70-year-old Scottish football great said when he stepped down from his role as a pundit then you certainly wouldn’t rule it.

“I’m still very much open for business. My passion for football is undimmed and I certainly still feel I have a lot to offer,” he wrote recently in his Daily Mail column. And that came after saying in his Sky Sports farewell speech: “I’ve got lots of things coming up. I’ve got my DEBRA charity and on the 22nd of this month I’m going to announce a challenge I’m getting involved in and that’s important to me.” Was Rangers chairman John Bennett taking note?

Those words would certainly make any potential employee sit up and take notice. Souness referenced his passion for which he was renowned during an illustrious playing career and that was no more evident than when he swept into Ibrox almost 40 years ago to spark a revolution the likes of which the club has rarely seen in its history.

His last job in football was as manager of Newcastle United back in 2006. He was linked with manager roles at Crystal Palace and Bolton after that but never returned to the dugout. And in 2007 he led a consortium looking to buy Wolves for £20million but the offer was rejected and they didn’t return. He was also interested in buying Rangers along with Brian Kennedy five years later.

He said: "I decided football management wasn’t for me any more. I had totally the wrong temperament for it, personality."

So it was as a career as pundit Souness turned to and he was as fearless and frank in the studio as he was on the pitch as a midfield enforcer. His last game was at Anfield for Liverpool’s 4-3 win over Spurs when Kelly Cates, daughter of his ex Reds and Scotland team-mate and fellow legend Kenny Dalglish, announced his departure.

(Sunday Mail)

He said: “I was given an opportunity to do this and it was magnificent. It has just been the most fantastic time for me. A second career in television meant a life in the game was still very much there for me. The business of going to live matches and working from them in a journalistic capacity has been a privilege.

“I didn't always agree with those I shared a studio with but punditry is all about having your view on football and not always agreeing with everyone. I made some great friends along the way and one of the reasons I have relished the work so much is that it has got me out of my comfort zone on a regular basis.

"It meant a lot that my last game for Sky was at Liverpool, the club I hold so dear. I will be 70 on Saturday and I'm still very much open for business. My passion for football is undimmed and I certainly still feel I have a lot to offer."

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